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Todd McFarlane Says Spawn Won't Speak in Movie Reboot

According to Spawn creator Todd McFarlane, the title character won't actually speak in the comic book movie reboot that McFarlane is developing - and will be to the film what the shark was to the original Jaws.

Todd McFarlane's Spawn is getting a long-awaited update with the help of director and comic fan, Kevin Smith, and Blumhouse Productions. The comic book creator has been busy dropping intriguing hints about the secretive project. McFarlane revealed the reboot is still in its infancy, with the team only just now signing off on the script. Execs have yet to set a budget and are still in need of a cast, though McFarlane has indicated that both issues will be addressed in the near future. Despite all the ambiguity shrouding the film, McFarlane promises that it will be rated "R" and for good reason.

McFarlane told AZCentral that Spawn's "R" rating will be hard-earned in ways no other comic book film has ever seen before. He described the remake as a "supernatural thriller" with "dark and heavy" undertones. McFarlane explicitly called out Deadpool for its nudity and dirty jokes, saying Spawn would be far grittier than the Merc's popular franchise. Even Logan is small potatoes compared to what McFarlane expects Spawn to be, promising "true trauma" and a serious plot.

As for Spawn himself, McFarlane revealed the iconic character would be more of a bit player in his own film. Comparing Spawn to Jaws, McFarlane said he intended to focus the story on the good guys hunting "the ghost," not the villain itself. The point of the film is the living, not the supernatural. The main characters of the film will be the everyday people hunting Spawn. To emphasize Spawn's diminished role in the film, the fiendish character will not have a single line. Spawn will be completely silentthroughout the entire movie.

McFarlane himself is largely responsible for the unique direction the film will be taking. He revealed his steadfast insistence that he would write, produce, and direct the film. McFarlane described these requirements as "non-negotiable" and even admitted he was willing to take on a smaller budget (customary for first-time directors, which he is) in order to achieve it. Given his inexperience, McFarlane is expecting an $8-12 million budget, and he's fine with that. McFarlane also pointed to the success of recent Blumhouse projects like Get Out, which has received critical acclaim and Golden Globe nods despite its $4 million budget, and Split, which made $300 million at the worldwide box office but only cost $11 million to produce. McFarlane aims to recreate those successes with his own low-budget horror flick.